Spergula nodosa. Knotted Spurrey* 



SPERGULA Lin. Gen. PI. Decandria PentAgynia. 



Cal. 5-phyllus. Petala 5 integra. Cap/, ovata, i-locularis, 5-valvis. 



Raii Syn. Gen. 24. Herbje Pentapetal^ Vasculiferje. 



SPERGULA nodofa foliis oppofitis fubulatis laevibus caulibus (implicibus* Lin. Syji. Vegetab. p. 363. 

 Sp. PL p. 630. 



ALSINE foliis fuperioribus fafciculatis. Haller. Hjft. n. 871. 



STELLARIA nodofa. Scopoli Fl. Cam. n. 545. 



ALSINE nodofa Germanica. Baub. Pin. p. 251. 



ALSINE paluitris, ericas folio, polygonoides, articulis crebioribus, flore albo pulchello. Pluk. aim, 

 23. /. 7. fig. 4. 



SAXIFRAGA paluftris Anglica. Park. 427. 



ALSINE paluftris foliis tenuiffimis, feu Saxifraga paluftris x^nglica. Get. emac. 567. 568. Rati Syn. p, 

 350. Englifh Marfh- Saxifrage. Hudfon Fl. Angl. ed. 2. p. 203. Lightfoot Fl. Scot. p. 244. 



RADIX perennis, fibrofa. | ROOT perennial and fibrous. 



CAULES ex una radice plures, palmares et ultra, nunc | STALKS feveral from one root, four inches or more in 

 procumbentes, nunc afcendentes, poft floref- \ length, fometimes procumbent, fo netimes 



centiam fsepe repentes, nmplices feu ramofi, | nearly upright, after flowering often creeping, 



teretes, tenues, glabri, parce pilofi, pilis adf: limple or branched, round, (lender, fmooth, 



lentem globuliferis, crebris geniculis intercepti, | fparingly haired, the hairs appearing globular 



geniculis tumidis. % at top when magnified, having numerous 



I joints which are { .ed. 



FOLIA radicalia plurima, caefpitofa, laete virentia, line- 1 LEAVES next the root numerous, forming a turf, of a 

 aria, acuta, uncialia, fubcarnofa, glabra, cau- 1 beautiful dark green colour, linear, pointed, 



lina in feriora paulo breviora, connata, fuperiora| about an inch in length, fomewhat fleihy, 



breviffima, teretiufcula, fafciculata, ex alis¥ fmooth, the lowermoft (talk-leaves a little 



prolifera. I longer than the radical ones, joined together 



% at bottom, the uppermoft (lalk-leaves very 



I fhort, from their alae producing fmall tufts of 



$ leaves, the rudiments of branches. 



FLORES albi, delicatuli, in fummis caulibus et ramulis, | FLOWERS white, and delicate, fitting on the tops of 



majores quam pro plantulae modo. f the (talks and branches, large in proportion to 



% the fize of the plant. 



PEDUNCULI ereai, femipollicares. | FLOWER- STALKS upright, about half an inch in 



% length. 



CALYX: Perianthium pentaphyllum, foliolis ob- I CALYX: PERiANTHiUMcompofed of five leaves, which 



longis, concavis, fubpilofis, pilis ut in caule. % are oblong, hollow, (lightly hairy, the hairs 



fig, 1. I like thofe on the (talk. Jig. 1 . 



COROLLA: Petala quinque, alba, calyce duplo | COROLLA compofed of five white petals, twice the 



longiora, ovato-rotundata, integerrima. fig. 2. | length of the calyx, of a roundifh egg-fhape, 



* perfectly entire. Jig. 2. 



STAMINA: Fil amen t a decern, fubulata, alba, corolla t STAMINA: ten Filaments tapering, white, fhorter 

 breviora. Antherje concolores, incumbentes, | than the corolla. Anthers of the fame colour, 



primo bilob^e, lobis oblongis, parallelis. fig. 3. t lying acrofs the filament, at firft compoied of 



I two oblong lobes parallel to each other Jig. 3. 



PISTILLUM : Germen turbinatum. St yli quinque, y PISTILLUM : Germen broad at bottom, narrow at top. 



filiformes, villofuli, reflexi. Stigmata fim-| Styles five, filiform, (lightly villous and 



plicia, fig. 4. I reflexed. Stigmata fimple. fig. 4. 



PERICARP1UM : Capsula parva, ovata, calyce tefta, | SEED-VESSEL : a fmall ovate Capsule covered with 



unilocularis, quinquevalvis. | the calyx, of one cavity and five valves. 



SEMINA plurima, minima, nigricantia. % SEEDS numerous, very minute, of a blackifh colour. 



The Sperpula nodofa recommends itfelf to our notice by the beauty of its verdure, and the delicacv of its 

 bloffomsf the largenefs and whitenefs of which, joined to its place of growth, ferve alfo to diftmguifh it from 

 thofe plants which may have fome refemblance to it in their foliage. _ ^ 



It ptows in moifl fituations, frequently among herbage, and fometimes out of Walls, kocks, and btones. 



I have obferved it growing out of the wall by the Thames fide, in feveral places betwixt Lambeth and Putney. 



I have alfo found it on Hounfiow Heath with the Sagina procumbens and Centunculus minimus. It flowers in July 



* U About London it is a fcarce plant ; but in the north of England it is very common on the borders of rivulets, and 

 grows generally more upright than with us : a fmall fpecimen of it, in this (late, is reprefented on the plate. 



